Time-controlled symbol-displaying device



J. A. DEMUTH'. TIME CONTROLLED SYMBOL DISPLAYING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.23. I918.

Patented Jan. 24, 1922.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

1. A. DEMUTH. TIME CONTRDLLED SYMBOL DISPLAYING DEVICE.

APPLLCATION FILED APR-23 1918.

1,404,688, Patented Jan. 24, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

@ five/7127];

Q Emmi M J/fg J. A. DEMUTH. TIME CONTROLLEDSYMBOL DISPLAYING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED APR-23.1918.

Patented Jan. 24, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

JEFF/7275 135% Win/ PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. 'DEMUTH, or OBERLIN, 01110.

TIME-CONTROLLED SYMBOL-DISPLAYING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jan 24 1922 Originalapplication filed April 6, 1917, Serial No. 160,302. Divided and thisapplication filed April 23,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. DEMUTH, a citizen of the Unit-ed States,residing at Oberlin, in the county of Lorain and State of Ohio,have'invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Time-ControlledSymbol-Displaying Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. V

This application is a division of my prior application No. 160,302,filed April 6, 1917, on workmens time recording systems, the

primary object of which was to provide such a device which would besimple, effective and very difficult; to defraud. The essential objectof a portion of that invention comprising the subject matter of thisapplication, is to provide adevice adapted to periodically andsuccessively display cryptic symbols indicating and corresponding todefinite periods of time. A more specific object of the presentinventionis to provide such a symbol displaying device embodied in asimple form, effective in operation and adapted to be cheaplymanufactured and not liable to get out of order.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a belt adapted to carry thecryptic symbols and driven by an intermittently operated motor which isin turn controlled'by a suitable clock mechanism. or other timemeasuring means. Another specific object of this invention is to providea simple and invariably operating mechanism for controlling the beltmotor by the clock mechanism. Still another object is to so arrangesymbol displaying means and the time measuring controlling device thatthe-symbols may not be repeated in such manner as to represent orcorrespond to the same time for consecutive hour or twelve hour periods,but on the contrary may be advanced or changed regularly, constantlychanging the relation of the symbols to the handsof the clock. Thisprevents any individual memorizing a symbol displayed at a, certain timeand successively using that symbol to falsely indicate a correspondinglater time. hand it is necessary that the change of the symbol withrelation to the time must/be a definite factor readily computed by atime clerk. V

The drawings illustrate such a time controlled symbol displaying deviceas em- On' the other 1918. Serial No. 230,344.

bodied in my prior application above referred to.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my device displaying atime symbol; F g. 2 is a vertical section through the same; Fig. 3 is atransverse vertical section on an enlarged scale illustrating themechanism controlling the movement of the symbol belt; Fig. 4 is asection substantially at right angles with Fig. 3 taken substantially onthe line 4-4 of that figure; Fig. 5 is a similar section taken on theoffset plane inclicated by the line 55 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a horizontalsectional detail in the nature of a plan of theupper symbol belt drumand controlling means therefor, the plane of this section being taken onthe line 6-6 of Fig. 3; 7 is a front elevation of a portion of the clockmechanism and the means controlling the actuation of the symbol belt;

and Fig. 8 is a still further enlarged section detail looking downwardlyonto the devices attached to the clock mechanism for controlling theactuation of the symbol belt.

Describing my invention by the use of reference characters, 10 indicatesa clock casing carrying at its upper portion'suitable mechanismactuating the hands of a clock dial 12, and controlling the movement ofthe symbol belt 14:,to present the successive symbols at an opening 15in the front wall 13 of the clock casing.

As shown. the clock mechanism proper, has a suitable frame 16, carryinga spring 17, actuatinga gear 18, transmitting movement throgughintermediate gearing indicated at 19 to a spindle 22. On this spindleare a series of equally spaced actuating members, each adapted to causea single advancing movement of the symbol belt. As there are thirty ofthese actuating members, the hour period is divided into thirty periodsof two minutes each. As a convenient method of constructing theseactuating projections, I provide a series of star toothed wheels 20. Asshown, each of these has six teeth coacting with a small lever 23,pivoted at 2% to the frame 16.

The connection between the actuating levers 23 and the means forcontrolling the advance of the symbol belt is shown as comprisingflexible members 25, connected with the'levers and carrying movableactuators 26. Th se flexible members 25 are guided over pulleys 27 sothat they may rise verti- 14 is guided. This drum is shown as mounttated the various levers 23 are lifted and then they are released onebyone, each dropping from one tooth of its star wheel to the next. Indropping, the corresponding weight 26 is caused to strike the laterallyextended end 32 of a lever 31 pivoted at 33 to a bracket 29 extendingfrom the rear wall of the'clock casing. The force of the blow raises theright hand end of the lever and withdraws a dog 34, carried by'thelever, from engagementwith one of the teeth 35 formed in the peripheryof one of the flanges 36 of a drum 37 over which the symbol belt ed on aspindle 38 carried by brackets 39 extending from the rear wall, of thecasing, and this spindle is shown'as driven by constant tensionspring'actuat-ed mechanism.

The mechanism driving the sp ndle 38 1s mounted in a frame 40 andpreferably comprises a spring 41 actuating a gear. 42 which drives apinion 43 rigld w th the gear 44, in

turn drivinga gear 45' rigid on the spindle 3S. A shaft 46 1s shown asextending transversely through the'clock casing and is provided with asquare portion 47 at its outer end to which may be fitted a crank 48 forwinding the spring 41. This shaft extends into and is attached to theinner end of the spring and is retained in any position given it by a vpawl 49 coacting with a ratchet tooth wheel 50. The outer end of thespring is connected by a clip 51 with the gear wheel 42. I 1 VConsequent upon one of the levers 23 dropping'ofi from a tooth of itsstar wheel, the weight supported thereby will drop from its uppermostposition to the transverse head 32on the lever 31, momentarilyovercoming the tension of a spring 53, shown as attached't-o the levenand to the block 30, thus withdrawing the tooth 34 from engagement 7with one of the teeth in the flange 36. The spring. 41, acting throughthe gearing described, promptly advances the drum 37 and the belt, whilethe spring 53-urges the dog 34 into engagement with the flange; by

overcoming the weight of the member 26,

thus causing this dog to engage the next tooth and stop the movement ofthe drum. The teeth of the flanges 36 are preferably so spaced that eachadvance of thebelt prebriefly described asfollowsg 7 sentsthenextsuccessive symbol to the op ening 15. To cause the belt to beadvanced accurately, I have provided eyelets 54 there in spaced betweenthe symbols and adapted to be engaged by short rounded pegs or teeth 55on the drum 37. g

The belt 14 may be guided over a corresponding drum in the lowerportionof the clock casing, but to provide a longer belt carryinga largernumber of symbols without unduly increasing the size of the clockcasing, I prefer to provide, two rollers spaced apart in the lowerportion of the easing and loop the intermediate portion of the beltupwardly over a roller 62 closely adj acent the drum 37 as indicatedinFig. 2. The rollers 60 and 62 are merely guiding rollers or idlers, andthey may be arranged in any suitable fashion or additional rollers maybe provided to further loop the belt, allowing it to be made stilllonger or the casing to be more condensed. It will be seen that'theforward reach of this belt is arranged close to the front wall 13 of thecasing'so that the numbers at either side of the opening 15 tected by aglass closure 63 mounted across the openingl5. t

It is conceivable that various-time record ing systems for workmen mightbe devised 'with which this symbol displaying mecha- .may not-be seen.The belt is preferably pro- 7 nism might be used as an important factor.

The application of which this is a division illustrates the system withwhich I prefer to use such a symbol displaying device. For

purposes of convenient reference,-however, the use of the device hereinshown may be Take for instance a factory employing a large number ofworkmen, an entrance room is provided through which all the workmen mustpass when entering orleaving the factory. In this room is mounted mytime clock or symbol displaying device in a con-' spicuous place and invarious positions from which the symbol at the opening -15 ofthe clockmay be easily read, are placed record strips in suitable boxes orcasings. group of workmen are assigned to each box. and

required'to write on the record strip, the' symbol displayed, wherebyhethus records his time of entry. As that symbol does not correspondon-successive days "with'the same time,it is obviousthat it is verydifficult to defraud the time keeping system using this device. Asstated in the prior application,

each workman upon entering the factory proceeds to the box to which heis assigned, takes a pencil provided for the purpose, notes thesymboldisplayed by the clock, writes this symbol, forexample,'KN, andthen advances the strip by actuating a suitable lever. or other deviceto present a blank spacein the opening for the next person? It isobvious that several workmen or a large number entry or departuremay-interpret the symhole on the record strips by the use of a key tothe symbol belt comprising an arrangement of the symbols in the sameorder as they are carried on the belt. It is only necessary then for thetime clerk, to know which symbol was presented at. any definite time,whereupon he'may count either way from that by two-minute periods andthus accurately check the time of entry and departure for each workman.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. The combination of a clock, a belt having thereon a series of codesymbols, a casing enclosing the belt, rollers over which the belt mayrun, a single row of centrally positioned coacting projections andcavities on the belt and one of said rollers, a motor connected withsaid last mentioned roller to advance the same to move the belt, a stopmember controlling the motor, aqveight adapted to release said stop, andmeans for raising and dropping said weight to cause such releaseconsequent upon a definite movement of the clock mechanism.

2. The combination with a clock, a belt having a series of code symbols,a roller guiding said belt, coacting projections and cavities on theroller and belt, a constant tension motor for driving said roller, atoothed member preventing rotation of the roller, a stop for engagingthe teeth, a plurality of weights'adapted to release said stop whendropped, connections between the weights and the clock mechanism, and aseries of toothed members for raising and releasing the weightsconsequent upon a predetermined movement of the clock mechanism.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of mean forcarrying a series of code symbols, and means for successively displayingsaid symbols at predetermined intervals, said means including a motoractuating the symbols, a time measuring instrument, and means forcontrolling the actuation of the motor including a series of spacedindependent actuators released by said instrument. v

4. The combination of a time measuring device, means for carrying anddisplaying a series of cryptic symbols, a motor for driv ing said means,a series of spaced actuators including a plurality of weights moved bythe time measuring device and controlling the movement of said motorthrough an escapement periodically released by said weights whereby thesymbols are successively displayed at predetermined intervals.

5. The combination with a means carrying a series of cryptic symbols, amotor driving said means, a=latch controlling the movement'oi saidmotor, and having a spring return 'zfOI retaining the latch inmotorholding position, a time measuring instrument having a series of spacedactuators for moving said latch against the action of said springwhereby the symbols are displayed successively at predeterminedintervals.

6. In a symbol display device, the combin-ation of a clock meanscarrying a plu rality of cryptic symbols, a casing surrounding saidmeans and adapted to display one symbol at a time, means connecting thesymbol carrying mechanism with the clock mechanism and comprising alatch member, an impact release and a spring for returning said latch toholding position.

7. The combination with a clock, a belt having a series of code symbols,a roller guiding said belt, meansrior driving said roller, a shoulder, astop for engaging the shoulder to prevent rotation of the roller, aplurality of weights each adapted to be dropped to release said stop,connections between the weights and the clock mechanism, and a series ofspaced projections for raising and releasing the weights consequent upona predetermined movement of the clock mechanism.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination of a memberhaving thereon a series of successively arranged code symbols, a casingin which said member is mounted having an opening adapted to displayonly one symbol at a time, mechanism for advancing the member to presentthe different symbols to the opening, a time measuring instrument havinga series of actuators having a positive release action to cause theactuation of such mechanism at measured intervals, the number ofactuators having such relation to the number of symbols that one numberis not evenly divisible by the other.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination of a casing,an endless member therein carrying a plurality of cryptic symbols andadapted to display one symbol at a time, time controlled mechanism forintermittently advancing said symbol displaying means, a clockcontrolling said last mentioned means, said controlling mechanismcomprising a series of actuators moved by the clock of a numberincommensurable with the number symbols and evenly spaced to divide thehours into an equal number of periods, and controlling connectionsbetween said means and the means for actuating the symbol carryingmeans.

10. The combination of a casing, an end- -'interv als,-saidmeansincluding a motor to release an actuator to advance said end lessmember, the number-oi said teeth being lncommensurable with the numberofsymbols. z e

" 11. 111 a device of the class described, the: combination of means forcarrying a series of code symbols,;andmeans for successively displayingsuch symbols at predetermined actuating the symbols, a time measuringinstrument, means for controlling the actuation of the motor, includinga series of Weights separately released by said instru ment at fixedintervals of time, and amotor holding member adapted to bereleased bythe impact of each weight, and a means adapted to replaces-aid I holdingmember in motor holding position against the action of SfllClWGlght.

In testimony whereof, I hereuntoaifixmy signature. V i

- V JOHN-A.

' Witnesses: V 1

- LUGIND REPLOGLE, f '7 IoaMARTY;

